This short story consists of two letters written by a neuroscientist and her mentor after she discovers an unusual microbe. Their exchange is meant to explore the nature of truth, consciousness, morality, depression, powerlessness, and hope.
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READER COMMENT: "Excellent story! I like the combination of a narrating styles reminiscent of old film noir with the futuristic themes. And I love the whole metaphor of "abyss", of spiritual emptiness, which gradually takes over people's minds and souls in the shape of virtual reality. This is high quality science fiction indeed, the kind of speculative fiction that contains clear allusions to our reality and a message to the modern human being. This is, so far, my favorite work of yours. Great job, my friend." -- Oleg Roschin.
Intro: This is, of course, a reference to Friedrich Nietzsche, who famously said: "Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." But this tale was inspired by the following people, as well: the existential philosophers (Sartre, Camus, et al.), Philip K. Dick, a number of people I've met over the years who had a rough go of it but were lucid and loquacious enough to tell me their stories, and a certain girl who gave me the prompt and encouraged me to write this.